Fractures of the pelvis arise from severe blunt impacts on the pelvic girdle, which occur most often, for example, in traffic accidents, free falls and industrial accidents. Pelvic fractures tend to be serious injuries which involve massive blood loss and the time between the initial fracture and surgical intervention is critical. It has been shown that external fixation plays a major role in reducing the bleeding during the acute phase of these pelvic fractures.
Once past the acute phase of a pelvic fracture, internal pelvic fixation is typically used to provide stabilization for the pelvic ring fractures as they heal. However, these internal pelvic fixation surgical procedures are generally undertaken in well staffed and well equipped surgical trauma centers and then only as part of a post-trauma situation. When external fixation devices are attached to the fractured pelvis, the broken parts may be aligned and firmly held in an appropriate position until the patient either can be transported to a surgical trauma center, or is stable enough to undergo internal fixation surgical procedures.
The accidents that cause pelvic fractures tend to occur at distances remote from surgical centers that are able to perform the required internal fixation procedures. Thus, the patient needs to be transported a distance and/or stabilized prior to surgery. The existing external fixation devices used for pelvic fractures are mounted anteriorly, cumbersome to handle, and frequently difficult to attach. Additionally, they are not radiolucent, making it difficult to obtain the necessary pelvic x-rays prior to surgery, and most often are not intended for use solely on the pelvis.
An external pelvic fixation device is needed that is radiolucent and adjustable so as to provide the ability to place bone pins in a variety of planes and positions on a fractured pelvis. A pelvic fixation device is also needed that can be quickly and simply mounted posteriorly on a patient at an accident scene or in a hospital trauma center. This will allow for rapid initial stabilization and reduction of the pelvic fracture until the patient can be transported to a surgical trauma center and stabilized with internal fixation of the fracture.